News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum
ACPS interim Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt at the deed signing ceremony for the Winkler Botanical Preserve, September 15, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s been a busy week in Alexandria.

City Council unanimously approved City Manager Jim Parajon’s $884.3 million fiscal year 2024 budget, funding citywide pay increases, a fully funded school system and collective bargaining agreements with the police and fire departments.

On Thursday night, the School Board announced that Interim Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt has been promoted to superintendent. Kay-Wyatt has led Alexandria’s 16,000 student-strong school system since the beginning of this school year after the resignation of Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. So far, she’s managed ACPS through post-pandemic educational issues, an increase in juvenile crime and the ACPS budget process. Her four-year contract ends on June 30, 2027, and her annual salary is $265,000.

Much of the week was punctuated by crime incidents, including a gunfire incidents in Landmark, an attempted carjacking on Duke Street and another shots fired incident near the Braddock Road Metro station.

  1. New tool maps out income and racial inequality across Alexandria
  2. Fairfax County man sentenced 10 years for 110-mph Duke Street crash that killed man
  3. Teen arrested for attempted carjacking on Duke Street
  4. Carjacking suspect arrested after midnight pursuit on King Street
  5. JUST IN: Police investigating shots fired incident near Braddock Road Metro station
  6. JUST IN: ACPS to announce new superintendent on Thursday
  7. Fundraiser established for family of the ACHS student who died this week
  8. Brothers want Tex-Mex restaurant ‘Dos Hermanos’ to open in Del Ray in June
  9. Mount Vernon Avenue closed near George Washington Middle School due to gas leak
  10. No arrest after shots fired in Landmark area Sunday morning
  11. Upcoming free tour explores the hidden history of Alexandria’s Parker-Gray neighborhood

Have a safe weekend!

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.